Counting the Times
by Really Big Hat
Summary: Counting the times in Toph's life where they made an imprint on her. I don't own.


When Toph was 12, that's when she first met Sokka. At first he had just been her buddy. Her friend to laugh to and make fun of, but then she started to like him more then that. She had just figured that it was just a small crush, that it meant nothing and would go away in a week or so. Boy was she wrong.

She was 14 when Sokka had joined her to help with her metalbending school. Toph was so eager for him to be there with her she literally jumped off Appa when he was still flying. Eh, it saved Twinkletoes time to get to the Earth King in Ba Sing Se. They had grown really close there, but Penga's crush on Sokka really annoyed her. Sokka didn't seam like he liked her back, but Penga's constant flirting just drove Toph up the wall, she had to do something about. It was then when she admitted her feelings to Sokka, only to be shot down by the fact he was still dating Suki. Toph winced at his gentleness in his voice. It was obvious he didn't want to hurt her, and that he wanted to let her down easily, but Toph didn't want the softness. She was stronger then that! Toph acknowledged that and apologized, saying that they should both just forget it and go back to just being friends. He agreed too eagerly.

It was when she was 16 that Sokka and Suki reunited, and Toph was right there. Watching them hug and kiss with the mental picture she'll never be able to forget. Suki had asked them how they were working at the school, and Sokka smiled widely and said everything was fantastic. He didn't even think about Toph's confession years ago. Toph just smiled weakly and said that she had a hard time keeping up with his stupidity, and was glad to get rid of him, but they all knew it wasn't true. It was obvious she still cared for him, and Sokka still knew that. He knew how much it probably pained her to watch them hug and so he hesitantly recoiled from Suki's grip subtly. Then Sokka and Suki left that day.

Toph didn't see Sokka again until she was 22. They were at a war reunion and she met up with her old friends, introducing them all to her fiancé, Hahn. Toph had thought that she was over with her crush on Sokka a few years back when Hahn had entered her life, but Toph and felt Sokka's heart speed up when she approached him. She had just thought it was the fact he hadn't seen his best friend in 6 years. Sokka had been polite to him, but she had sensed the hostility in his voice. Towards the night when Sokka and Toph had begun to have a little too much to drink, the two realized how much they missed each other, and how much of best friends they were. Toph was happy to have her Snoozles back to being her buddy.

When Toph was 25, Hahn had died from sickness. Apparently, you can get pentapox from eating undercooked Pentapi. Who knew? Toph had been pregnant with her first child when it had happened, and she was absolutely devastated. She was afraid of the thought that her child would have to grow up without a father to take care of her, to love her. It wasn't until a few weeks later when she got the letter from Sokka stating that he and Suki had broken up, and that he would be coming to crash at her house since Suki had kicked him out of their place. Toph didn't know what to do then. She and Katara still had arrangements for Hahn's funeral, and the distraction of Sokka would just make it worse, though when Sokka had come a few days later and saw Toph still crying over her lost spouse, Sokka was there to hold her.

Toph had just turned 26 when she gave birth to her first daughter, Lin. Toph had named her that knowing that Hahn had a fondness for that name, often asking Toph if they could name her said name. Sokka had been right at Toph's side while it had happen. She knew that must've been hard for him, knowing his squeamishness around that kind of stuff. Sokka had still not gotten back together with Suki, and it looked like he wasn't considering she was dating some other guy from Kyoshi Island. Toph remember Sokka going off about him, saying he was "Mr. Perfect" and that Suki didn't deserve a heartbreaker like him.

Toph was 30 when Lin had turned four. Toph was sure to make sure Lin had not mistaken Sokka for her father, and that her daughter had addressed him as "Uncle Sokka" or "Socks" only. Sokka didn't mind. He loved acting as a foster father/uncle for her. Lin had gotten along with him well too. She simply adored Sokka. They were overjoyed when they found out Lin could earthbend.

Toph was 32 when Sokka proposed his love for Toph. It had been the night of Aang and Katara's wedding anniversary and Sokka took Toph outside and told her he loved her. She smiled and punched him in the arm stating "it was about darn time!". The two had never been happier.

She had been 34 when Sokka and Toph had gotten married. Everything was perfect. Lin was the flower girl, Katara and Ty Lee the maids of honor, and Aang the best man. Toph had looked beautiful as she had walked down the aisle, her hair was down to her back, with just a portion of it pinned to the top of her head where the vial was. All the two were thinking during the ceremony was how much they wished the priest would hurry it up already. When he had said to kiss the bride, they didn't spend any time hesitating.

When Toph was 38 when Lin was 12. It was obvious her daughter had the hots for Aang and Katara's 13 year old son, Tenzin. Aang and Katara would often worry to Sokka and Toph stating that they were cousins, but they didn't care. After all, they weren't blood related.

Toph was 44 when Lin was 18 and came home stating that she and Tenzin were an item. The news of his "little girl" having a boyfriend had shocked Sokka so much he had fainted. Toph had to wake him up with a big bucket of ice cold water. Sokka soon got over it.

Toph was 64 when her daughter had come home ticked off. When Toph had asked her daughter what had happened, she had just stalked off and slammed the door in her room. Toph had sent Sokka upstairs to see if she was okay, only to come back covered in rock dust, saying that she didn't want to talk about it.

Toph was 66 when Twinkle-Toes had died peacefully in his sleep. None of them had expected the death. Katara was torn apart. Toph was there by her side. She knew what it was like to have their spouse die an unexpected death.

It was 5 years later, when Toph was 71 when she had heard the news of the new avatar. Toph, Lin, Sokka, and Katara all took Oogi to go see the small Water Tribe avatar. Apparently she had been a girl named Korra. She had the spark in her eye that only Aang could bear. Katara had to walk out of the room to keep the child from seeing her cry.

A year after that, Sokka had died. The pain of loosing Hahn, Twinkle Toes and Sokka was too much. Toph soon lost her life at the age of 74.

Lin had arranged the funeral. She had invited Katara, Zuko, Mai, their daughter, Ursa who was now Fire Lord, and even Tenzin, Pema, their daughter, Jinora who was a year old and Tenzin's siblings, Kya and Bumi, and many other friends. The funeral had been simple, knowing that Toph didn't like elaborate, special things, but it had been special, and even though Toph was gone, Katara, and Zuko could've sworn they saw her and Sokka standing next to Lin, pride and happiness adorned on their faces.

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**Yesterday was the day Tokka died. Today is the day I create a theory on how it can still work XD**

**I liked this one even though I wrote it at midnight last night ^-^  
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**Tell me what you think!  
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**RBH  
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